Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Soldiers and Veterans bring petition to the Capitol

Vocal opposition to President’s Bush’s strategy of sending more than20,000 additional troops to help secure Iraq has grown to include some of thetroops themselves.

A group of more than 50 active-duty military officers will deliver a petition to Congress on Tuesday signed by about 1,000 troops calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. “Any troop increase over here will just produce more sitting ducks, more targets,” said Sergeant Ronn Cantu, who is serving in Iraq.

Under the 1988 Military Whistleblower Protection Act, active duty military, National Guard, and Reservists may communicate with any member of Congress without fear of reprisal, even if copies of the communication are sent to others.

Skeptics will say a petition to stay would generate more signatures by the military, however, it takes significant courage for a military member to put their names on something like this. Bravo!

When the campaign began three months ago, White House spokesman Tony Snowdismissed the first signatories as "65 people who are going to be able to get more press than the hundreds of thousands who have come back and said they're proud of their service."

Typical of the Bush White House, dismiss the views of soldiers that serve and retain property of the term "patriotism".

Snow fails to recognize that a soldier can protest the war AND still be proud of their service. I served proudly for more than a decade, but continue to protest the aggression in Iraq.